Can I really get a crown in a single visit?

For a single crown, an inlay, onlay or partial crown this is possible in many cases. We scan the tooth, design the restoration on screen, mill it from a ceramic block and fit it at the same appointment. Whether this is sensible in your case depends on the starting point and we discuss it beforehand.

Is a digital impression more accurate than an impression with paste?

The digital scan provides a very precise and well-reproducible record. Unlike the conventional impression, there is no risk of distortion or bubbles in the material. Individual areas can also be rescanned directly, without repeating the whole impression.

Does same-day ceramic last as long as lab work?

The ceramic used is stable and well tolerated, and a carefully fitted restoration can last many years. Its longevity depends mainly on oral hygiene, on load and on regular check-ups. In function, practice-made and lab-made work are comparable for the right indication.

Is scanning uncomfortable?

Most patients find the scan comfortable. A small camera passes over the teeth, with no impression paste and no filled tray in the mouth. For anyone with a sensitive gag reflex this is a clear advantage.

When is a dental lab still needed?

For multi-unit bridges, demanding front-tooth aesthetics with fine colour gradients or certain materials, we work with a dental laboratory. There too, the workflow often begins with a digital scan. We choose the route that best suits your result.

Digital impressions and CEREC. Ceramic in a single visit.

Instead of an impression with paste, we scan the tooth with an intraoral scanner. With CAD/CAM and CEREC, ceramic restorations can be designed and milled directly in the practice. We explain the workflow, the limits and when a dental laboratory remains the better route.

Key takeaway

With an intraoral scanner we capture the tooth without any impression paste. This is more comfortable, triggers no gag reflex and can be repeated as often as needed. Using CAD/CAM and CEREC, inlays, onlays, partial crowns and single crowns can be milled from ceramic in a single visit. For complex aesthetics, bridges or certain materials, a dental laboratory remains the better route.

Written by Dr. Fredrik Nord 31 May 2026 8 min read

What a digital impression is

An impression is an exact copy of the teeth that a restoration is built upon. In the conventional method we fill a tray with impression material and press it onto the row of teeth. The material sets and forms a negative, from which a plaster model is cast in the laboratory.

In the digital impression, an intraoral scanner replaces this step. A small camera passes over the teeth and combines many individual images into a three-dimensional model on the screen. No paste and no tray in the mouth are needed.

A digital scan instead of an impression with paste

Compared directly, the scan has several advantages:

More comfortable. No full tray, no pressure, no waiting for the material to set.
No gag reflex. For sensitive patients the conventional impression was often the most unpleasant part. The camera largely avoids this problem.
Precise. The scan captures fine structures reliably, with no distortion from a setting material.
Repeatable. If an area is not right, we rescan only that spot, rather than repeating the whole impression.

The scan is the basis for digital fabrication. This is where CAD/CAM and CEREC come in.

What CAD/CAM and CEREC are

CAD/CAM stands for computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Based on the scan, we design the restoration on screen and pass the dataset to a milling unit, which carves it from a ceramic block.

CEREC is a CAD/CAM system widely used in practices that follows exactly this workflow: scan, design, mill. The decisive point is that these steps take place in the practice. As a result, a ceramic restoration can be produced in a single visit under the right conditions.

Restorations in a single visit

This method allows several restorations to be made at the same appointment:

Inlay. A filling fitted into the tooth when the defect is too large for a direct filling.
Onlay and partial crown. A restoration that additionally covers one or more cusps of the tooth.
Crown. A complete capping of the single tooth.

How an inlay and a crown differ and which solution suits which case is covered in our article on inlay or crown. Which restoration is right for your situation we clarify at the examination.

The workflow step by step

The digital route follows four clear steps:

Scan. After preparing the tooth, we capture a three-dimensional model with the intraoral scanner.
Design. On screen we construct the restoration to match the tooth shape, the bite and the neighbouring teeth.
Mill. The milling unit carves the restoration from a ceramic block in the chosen shade.
Bond. We fit it, check the bite and bond it permanently to the tooth (adhesive bonding).

For the patient this usually means one appointment instead of two, no temporary restoration over several days and no second anaesthetic.

When a single visit works well

The method shows its strengths with single, clearly defined defects. It is well suited for:

single inlays, onlays and partial crowns,
single crowns in the posterior region,
situations where a second appointment or a temporary would be impractical.

Here the material and workflow are matched to one another, and the result can be completed on the same day.

When a dental laboratory remains the better route

Not every restoration belongs in a single visit. In these cases we work with a dental laboratory:

Complex aesthetics. For visible front teeth with fine colour gradients and light effects, a dental technician working by hand often achieves a more natural result. This applies in particular to veneers.
Bridges. Multi-unit restorations that span a gap usually call for the laboratory route. Our page on crowns and bridges gives an overview.
Certain materials. Not every material can be milled in the practice. Where zirconia or layered ceramic is needed, the lab fabricates it. We explain the differences in our article on full ceramic or zirconia.

The laboratory route too now often begins with a digital scan. We choose the method by what best supports your result, not by the fastest route.

Material, benefits and limits

The restoration is milled from a ceramic block. Ceramic is well tolerated, tooth-coloured and stable over many years. The benefit of the digital route lies in the comfort of the scan, the absence of a temporary and the finished result on the same day.

The limits lie in the indication: for bridges, demanding aesthetics and certain materials the laboratory is superior. Careful preparation of the tooth and clean bonding remain decisive for longevity in both cases.

Care and check-ups

You care for a ceramic restoration just like your own teeth: thorough brushing, daily cleaning of the interdental spaces and regular check-ups. At these appointments we also check the margins between tooth and ceramic. This keeps the restoration sealed and functional for a long time.

Costs and next step

Costs depend on the work involved and follow the SSO tariff. Before treatment you receive a written cost estimate, so that you have a clear basis for your decision. If you would like to know whether a single-visit restoration is an option for you, book an appointment. We look at the situation and discuss the right route with you.